最新蜜桃影像

最新蜜桃影像
Photo: forcal35 / Pixabay

Local politician, national profile

For some politicians, a rising national profile means losing touch with their constituents. For Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, his plugged-in supporters take a different view.

Ever since being catapulted into the national spotlight as an impeachment manager during then-President Donald Trump鈥檚 second impeachment, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has been at the forefront of national politics.

In 2021, he was appointed to the high-profile Jan. 6 Select Committee, growing his national profile further. He鈥檚 even been parodied .

In the past, politicians have lost their constituents as a byproduct of their rapid ascension to national relevance. In recent months, Wyoming Republicans punished Rep. Liz Cheney for her intense focus on impeaching Trump and beyond.

Raskin, on the other hand, has managed to stay in line with the will of his constituents, and much of that has to do with the uniquely engaged and national-focused nature of his district.

In the Washington, D.C., suburbs that make up Maryland鈥檚 8th congressional district, the highly educated and informed population appears to be in favor of Raskin’s hard-nosed approach in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

His upcoming bid for a fourth term in Congress 鈥 which pits him against Republican aerospace engineer Gregory Coll for the second-straight election cycle 鈥 is expected to be an uncompetitive race, . Coll has run a campaign focused on neighborhood safety and security, military support and fiscal responsibility.

Peter Kovar, who served as chief of staff to the prominent Democratic congressman Barney Frank for 18 years, now sits on the Takoma Park, Md., City Council. He said Raskin鈥檚 national focus enhances his appeal. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see it as a conflict,鈥 Kovar said, 鈥淚 see it as part of good governance and good representation.鈥

While Raskin鈥檚 House district is rather economically homogenous 鈥 the median household income in the district exceeds $110,000 鈥 it is racially and culturally diverse. Here, Raskin is seen with staff at Silver Spring鈥檚 Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic. (Photo: Office of Jamie Raskin)

This appears supported by that say Marylanders鈥 top issue is the economy, with threats to democracy as second.

Jeffrey Slavin, a lawyer and four-decade Democrat who is the mayor of affluent suburb of Somerset, Md., noted that despite rumbling speculation that Raskin will seek or , Raskin is likely to stay in the House of Representatives.

Slavin also said that voters in the district are chiefly concerned with the federal government and tend to care less about what goes on in the Maryland General Assembly or their respective city halls.

Because of that, Raskin鈥檚 focus on national issues like democracy, reproductive rights and political extremism play well since his constituents are largely employees of the federal government 鈥 or related to it through work 鈥 or are otherwise plugged into national issues.

鈥淗e has such a great ability to discuss these issues, these heavy constitutional issues and make everybody understand,鈥 Slavin said.

Leonard Steinhorn, a professor of political communication at American University, where Raskin once taught constitutional law, said focusing on national and local issues are not mutually exclusive for members of Congress. Steinhorn pointed out that since Raskin lives less than 10 miles from his Capitol Hill office, he is especially well-positioned to balance both priorities.

Steinhorn also said politicians with national profiles like Joe Crowley 鈥斅燼 senior House Democrat who lost his Queens, N.Y., House seat in 2019 because he neglected his district and focused too squarely on his own political profile 鈥 do occasionally fall from grace. Crowley lost the Democratic primary to the rising progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who triumphed in one of the cycle鈥檚 biggest upsets.

鈥淭here鈥檚 sort of a very mensch quality to Jamie Raskin,鈥 Steinhorn said. 鈥淭he trick is, some people lose touch with their communities. I don鈥檛 ever think that鈥檚 in Jamie Raskin鈥檚 DNA.鈥

According to Raskin鈥檚 district director, Kathleen Connor, their office handles thousands of constituent cases a year, a figure that dwarfs most other constituent offices and increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raskin, seen here posing with students at Silver Creek Middle School in Kensington, Md., has represented Maryland鈥檚 8th congressional district since 2017. (Photo: Office of Jamie Raskin)

Connor credits their office鈥檚 productivity to their office staff, which includes six caseworkers and a handful of full-time interns in their Rockville, Md., office.

鈥淪o, even though everybody sees him on MSNBC and CNN,鈥 Connor said, 鈥渉e is still doing the same job for the constituents.鈥

For his part, Raskin insists that he has no motive outside of simply representing his constituents in Congress. He also stressed that he will continue to pursue his work on the Jan. 6 Committee to its necessary end, which he said could impact American life in the short, medium and long term.

鈥淢y constituents are very upset about assaults on democratic institutions and the right to vote,鈥 Raskin said. 鈥淎nd, again, I cannot imagine them being any more supportive of the work that I鈥檝e been doing.鈥

Ultimately, the voters in Raskin鈥檚 district 鈥 and the composition of the House of Representatives, which may force him out of his prominent oversight position 鈥 will determine his political future. For now, he appears to be taking an incremental approach to growing his own profile while still staying close to home; this summer, and routinely campaigns for Democratic candidates across the country as he is asked.

鈥淲e almost lost everything,鈥 Raskin said. 鈥淎nd I tell my constituents, we鈥檙e in the fight of our lives, and the outcome is not predetermined, we need to fight for constitutional democracy and freedom in America.鈥

Note: Jamie Raskin is a professor of law emeritus at American University鈥檚 College of Law.

Hayden Godfrey

Hayden Godfrey is a journalist currently pursuing a Master of Arts (MA) in Journalism & Public Affairs at American University. He covers Foggy Bottom and George Washington University for the Wash.

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